The Effects of Climate Variability and Change on Human-Bear Interactions in North America Active

Negative human-bear interactions are a common problem and management priority for many wildlife agencies in North America. Bears are adaptable to anthropogenic activity and food sources which creates opportunities for conflict with humans, including property damage, livestock depredation, and in severe cases, human injury. Acute climate events and long-term directional climate change can exacerbate the frequency and severity of human-bear interactions by changing resource availability, increasing overlap between humans and wildlife, and driving competition. Despite the pervasive threat that climate change poses, studies evaluating climate, human-wildlife interactions, and adaptive management strategies are limited. The goal of this work is to examine how changes in climate have already and could potentially affect bears and human-bear interactions in North America.

In phase one of this project, researchers will summarize the state-of-the-science on how climate variability and change affect black and brown bear ecology and interactions with humans, and the implications for bear management. In phase two, researchers will collaborate with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources to investigate the environmental and anthropogenic variables that contribute to an increased risk of negative human-bear interactions in the state.

Through this multi-scale approach, the results of this project will contribute to an improved understanding of how the spatial and temporal patterns of human-bear interactions may be altered as the climate continues to change, and can be used to inform bear management plans and conflict prevention strategies.